China's Rise and the Making of East Asia's Security Architecture

• Published in: The Journal of contemporary China Vol. 21; no. 73; pp. 19 - 34
• Main Author: Bisley, Nick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon Taylor & Francis Group 01.01.2012; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Architecture; Balance of power; Cooperation; East Asia; Geopolitics; International Cooperation; International security; Motivation; Multilateralism; National security; Peoples Republic of China; Regional Security; Regions; Security; Stability; East Asia; China
• ISSN: 1067-0564; 1469-9400
• DOI: 10.1080/10670564.2012.627663

This article examines the recent growth in multilateral security processes, the efforts to forge a 'security architecture', and focuses particularly on the role that China's rise has played in this process. It sketches out growth in Asian security cooperation and the efforts to forge a new security architecture. It then considers the question of China as a cause of this increase in security cooperation as well as China's own motives in actively engaging with this process. The final section then reflects on the contribution that security cooperation currently makes to the regional order. The article argues that China's rise has been an important prompt to the efforts to devise new security arrangements, but has not been the only source of this trend. It concludes that while multilateral security cooperation will be important in the emerging regional order, alone it will not provide a robust foundation for regional stability and security.